Getting ready to travel

In just 15 days we head off on our Home Assignment. This is our trip along our supporting congregations and our family. These last two weeks before we leave are filled with last-minute-getting-readies (if I can use that word). We are contacting the places we will visit and making sure they know we are coming. We are contacting the congregations making sure we know what how we can help while we are there. We are still finalizing a few travel bits, like accommodation in some of the stops. But we are looking forward to the time together. 

A Home Assignment is always quite a logistical challenge. We have 4 congregations which support us and at least 2 others we visit along the way with whom we have developed a good relationship. Our family is not in any of the places our supporting congregations are, so that means some extra driving or flying. Altogether this means that we want to make the most of every moment we are anywhere - even if it is only for a few days. 

As we prepare, we also are aware that we will be gone from our house for some time, so we want to make sure that everything is ready there,. We have very good neighbors who will keep an eye on things. I will try to mow the lawn at least one more time before we leave. And I will get the weeding done before we go. Not that it will look like I did by the time we get back, but at least it will have been done. 

Then we have to both think about what we will pack for the trip. As any of you who have traveled recently know, luggage allowances have gotten smaller about as quickly as gas prices have risen. When we traveled in 2023 (our last Home Assignment) we only took “carry-on” for the first. Since we are traveling from end of April to end of June, all across the country, we have to consider what kind of weather we might get and pack at least something that will be appropriate. 

At least this time we do not have to worry about any house pets that we are leaving behind for a few months. We have a neighbor cat who likes to come visit when she feels like it. We cat-sat our colleague’s cat for a few weeks back in March while they were gone. But we do not have any pets of our own to be concerned about. We do look forward to seeing our kids and their pets. We especially look forward to seeing our granddaughter in person again. 

So if we seem a little tired when we see you, don’t worry. We are not worried. We are very glad to be able to travel to see you. We are so thankful that you make the effort to see us as well. Traveling is an adventure and seeing people is an amazing blessing that we look forward to. We will miss seeing everyone here in Europe while we are gone, but we look forward to seeing all of you in the US while we are there. 

If you want to see our route, check out this earlier post.

Take your time

I need to be outside pulling weeds. Or in the pantry putting in new electrical outlets. I so like to have things done, but I hate doing the preparatory work necessary to get it done right. It all takes so much time! Although I must admit that I also dislike all the trouble that comes from a job poorly prepared. Then I just end up doing the job twice!

Most of the time my lack of patience means that I do not have the right tools at hand. Have you ever gotten up on the ladder and realized that the screw you need is down on the floor - somewhere among all those things? Then when you have gotten the screw and are back up the ladder, you realize that the screwdriver is down on the floor (you know where)! Or even worse, you disassemble the toilet to find out that the one piece of equipment you need to fix it (or even put it back together) is not in your toolchest at all. 

I know that I am not very patient. I like to think that I am fairly patient with people – although I know that I am the hardest on those closest to me (my children and my wife). But, as will all good work, building and maintaining relationships also takes some good preparation.

It is important, if I want to be able to encourage someone in their faith, to know who they really are and what they are actually struggling with. Simply tossing some scripture their way and leaving them to it is not going to help. And I don't always feel that I have the tools to help in every situation. Some things I can learn, others are out of my grasp. That’s why God put us in a family. We are then able to influence one another, use our talents and benefit from the talents of others as we grow together. But then I need to be willing to put the effort into those relationships.

I am thankful that God takes time to help me grow. I want to be willing to take time to help others as well. 

It is time

We are dealing with some basic realities, in our home life and in our work. Reality: there always comes a time of doing after the time of planning and preparation.

At the end of August, after several official years of planning (and several more unofficial years), our Bible camp site finally got official permission to begin with the renovation works that we have been planning for so long. We want so much to be able to make better use of the facilities we have in the Ardennes. If all goes as planned and as God wills, we will have a new meeting hall in the Spring and everything will be ready next summer to welcome our summer campers.

But before that could happen, the old hall needed to be taken care of - torn down. The old fiberglass roof which rained on the inside just wasn't getting the job done. When it rained, the holes in the roof leaked. When it wasn't raining, the moisture would often condense on the roof and rain down anyway. The windows on one side of the hall came from a different era. We had double glass on one side of the hall and plexiglass - actually simply plastic on wooden frames - on the other side. A lot of hard and loving labor went into making this hall. Years of great lessons and fellowship in what the various churches created here for each other. But now it was time to move on.
So we did. It was time. You can see some of the pictures (and maybe you already have) as well as a video showing some of the fun in getting the demolition done. It was a bittersweet labor of love. But we are looking forward to what will take its place and how we will be able to enjoy that.

At home, we have enjoyed watching Sean grow up. He has shown interest in so many things. His first plan was to be a professional football (soccer) player - and he was very adamant that he would do it! And he still enjoys playing, but that is not where his interest lies. Then he talked about having his own business, but in the end - somewhat out of the blue, though not completely - he is moving over to Brussels to study film.
In the last months we have prepared by finding out about the metro and the train (he will come home each weekend with the train and will use the metro to get around Brussels), about what he needs for school, visiting Brussels, setting up his room (he will be staying with good friends Bill and DeeDee Bundy) and getting things ready back at home. Sean still plans on working each Saturday and rehearsing or performing with his band as well.

Brussels - what a mix!

But there comes a time when it will start. And today it was time. On Sean's birthday (for all his life until now he always spent his birthday at school - it is the first day of school here) we went to Brussels with most of his things. Today we took the last bits and left him behind there, with advice and admiration, our prayers and admonitions. This week he will get used to living in Brussels before he really starts classes next week.

We are so thankful for the things that God allows us to see in this life - the work that He is completing in so many people. We are thankful that we can be part of that and will keep planning and doing each day, because it IS time.